Cosmetic applicator

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for applying a tan line correction solution onto the skin are provided. The method may include guiding a nib along a portion of skin. The nib may be formed from resin and saturated with tan line correction solution. The nib may be saturated with tan line correction solution by capillary action from a fibrous reservoir.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/834,006, filed on Jun. 12, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

This invention relates to a cosmetic applicator configured to apply a cosmetic solution. More specifically, this invention relates to a cosmetic applicator configured to apply a tan line correction solution onto a portion of a human body.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

For many people, a sun tan creates a fashionable and desirable appearance. A sun tan can be acquired through prolonged skin exposure to the sun, or through application of one or more sunless tanning solutions.

However, a sun tan is acquired only on portions of the body that were exposed to the sun or tanning solution. Portions of the body that were not exposed to the sun or tanning solution are typically lighter in color relative to exposed portions of the body. This results in the appearance of one or more streaks, spots, lines or other forms of discoloration on the body, also known as ‘tan lines.’

Tan lines are undesirable at least because they create an irregular appearance on the body. Tan lines are also undesirable because they reveal the shape of clothing that was worn during exposure to the sun, such as a bathing suit, shoes, goggles or golfing gloves.

It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a cosmetic applicator that is configured to precisely apply a solution on the body that conceals unwanted tan lines.

Solution applicators that include tan line correction solution are currently available in the market. The Tanee™ Company, located in Bronx, N.Y., has manufactured a tan line corrector in a tube-like body which a user squeezes to dispense tan line correction solution. The Norvell™ Company, located in Alexandria, Tenn., has manufactured a tan line corrector with a bottom that, when twisted, dispenses tan line correction solution.

However, these solution applicators have failed to provide customers with a precise and reliable delivery of tan line correction solution. The Tanee™ and Norvell™ solution applicators include low-density tip applicator that leaks, is messy, and is difficult to control. Additionally, both the Tanee™ and Norvell™ applicators store the tan line correction solution in an open reservoir included in their applicator. The open reservoir has an isotropic fluid flow—i.e., a fluid flow with no directional preference—and has a tendency to oversaturate the sponge tip. Such oversaturation causes unwanted flow of solution from the applicator.

The tan line correction applicator must be easy to control, and dispense a predictable amount of solution. This is because the application of more or less tan line correction solution than necessary will, at best, result in uneven coloring of the body and, at worst, stain clothing. This renders the applicator unsuitable for its intended purpose of creating a uniform coloring on the body.

It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a cosmetic applicator that is able to precisely and uniformly apply a tan line correction solution.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Apparatus and methods for a cosmetic pen are provided. The pen may include a nib formed from resin. The pen may also include a tan line correction solution including a bronzer and a sunless tanning agent. The pen may further include a fibrous reservoir. The fibrous reservoir may be saturated with the tan line correction solution. The fibrous reservoir may deliver the tan line correction solution to the nib through capillary action.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows apparatus associated with the prior art;

FIG. 2 shows additional apparatus associated with the prior art;

FIG. 3 shows apparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 shows another apparatus in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 5 shows yet another apparatus in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Apparatus for a cosmetic applicator configured to accurately apply tan line correction solution is provided. The cosmetic applicator may include a pen barrel, a reservoir located inside the pen barrel and a nib in fluid communication with the reservoir. The apparatus may additionally include a tan line correction solution. The tan line correction solution may be held in suspension within the reservoir. For example, the reservoir may be a fibrous reservoir. In some of these embodiments, the tan line correction solution may be delivered by capillary action, through the fibers, to the nib. Movement of the nib along a surface may result in the application of a preferably regulated amount of tan line correction solution to the surface. The rate may be regulated at a predetermined rate dependent at least in part on the characteristics of the nib and the reservoir.

The tan line correction solution may include water, a bronzer, a sunless tanner, a preservative, an emulsifier and/or any other suitable ingredient. In some embodiments, the tan line correction solution may be water-based.

The sunless tanner may include dihydroxyacetone (“DHA”). The DHA may be derived from sugar beets, sugar cane, or though any other suitable method.

For the purposes of the application, a bronzer may be anything that creates color on the skin, such as any suitable dye, coloring agent, staining agent, cosmetic coloring, pigment and/or colorant. Exemplary bronzers include one or more of Black Walnut Extract and/or a caramel color. Exemplary bronzers also include one or more of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) colors, such as any suitable combination of Yellow 5 (Colour Index (hereinafter, “CI”) 19140), Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Red 33 (CI 17200), Red 40 (CI 16035), Blue 1 (CI 42090) and/or any other color(s). Each of the FD&C colors may function as a colorant and/or a pigment in the tan line correction solution. In some embodiments, the bronzer may be an all-natural bronzer or an instant bronzer.

For example, in some embodiments, the tan line correction solution may include one or more of water, deionized water, glycerin, DHA, isopentyldiol, Black Walnut Extract, caramel color, phenoxyethanol, citric acid, fragrance and/or any other suitable ingredient. In some embodiments, the tan line correction solution may also include one or more of lycopene, the amino acid Tyrosine, the synthetic melatonin-stimulating hormone analog afamelanotide and/or bronzer(s).

In other embodiments, the tan line correction solution may include one or more of water, glycerin, DHA, propylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, propandiol, disodium edta, a bronzer and/or any other suitable ingredient. The bronzer may include any suitable FD&C color, such as yellow 5, red 40, blue 1, red 33, yellow 6 and/or any other suitable ingredient or color.

An exemplary appearance of the tan line correction solution is a dark brown liquid, a light brown liquid, any other suitable shade of brown or any other suitable color. The tan line correction solution may have an odor such as a Tropical Gold Fragrance or any other suitable fragrance.

Exemplary attributes for a tan line correction solution that may be used in a cosmetic applicator in accordance with the invention are as follows:

Exemplary Attribute Exemplary Ranges Value Specific Gravity 0.95-1.15, 0.90-1.2, 1-1.10 1.06 pH 2.8-3.5, 2.5-3.7, 3-3.3 2.85 Viscosity 5-20 cps, 7-17 cps, 4-23 cps, 14 cps (Spindle # 3/100 RPM/1 min) 10-15 cps

The cosmetic applicator may include a pen barrel, a plug, a reservoir, a nib and a cap. In some embodiments, the reservoir may be a fibrous reservoir.

The pen barrel may be formed from glass, aluminum, plastic, or any other suitable material. The pen barrel may include a front end and a back end. The pen barrel may be hollow in the middle and include an open space in one or more of the front end and the back end. In some embodiments, the plug may be inserted in the open space located at the back end of the pen barrel.

The reservoir may be positioned inside the pen barrel. In some embodiments, the reservoir may be inserted into the pen barrel through the open space located at the back end of the pen barrel. For example, a robotic arm may thrust the reservoir into the plastic barrel. A plug may be subsequently inserted into the open space at the back end of the pen barrel, holding the reservoir in place.

The shape of the reservoir may be the same as, or substantially similar to, an elongated cylinder, an elongated rectangle, or any other suitable geometric shape.

The reservoir may comprise a shell filled with a porous, absorbent and/or fibrous filling. The shell may be described herein as having a tubular shape. However, it should be noted that the shell may have any other suitable shape, such as a rectangular shape or any other suitable geometric shape.

Some embodiments may only include a porous, absorbent and/or fibrous reservoir without a shell.

In some embodiments, the tubular shell may be formed from non-rigid material. In other embodiments, the tubular shell may be formed from rigid material.

The tubular shell may be filled with a filling such as a fibrous filler. The filling may be densely packed in the tubular shell. The filling may be made from felt, polyester and/or any other suitable material. Exemplary polyester included in the tubular shell includes a densely packed highly porous polyester fiber. In some embodiments, the filling may include a set of tubes wrapped in plastic.

The filling included in the reservoir may be saturated with tan line correction solution. The filling may retain the tan line correction solution in suspension.

In some embodiments, a vacuum pump may suck the tan line correction solution into needles. Each needle may be then be pushed by a robotic arm into a reservoir and inject tan line correction solution into the filling, saturating the filling with the tan line correction solution.

The flow of tan line correction solution in the reservoir may be anisotropic. In other words, the flow of the tan line correction solution in the reservoir may have a directional preference. The directional preference may be along the longitudinal axis of the pen barrel.

A nib may be inserted through the open space located at the forward end of the pen barrel. For example, in some embodiments, the nib may be pushed into the open space at the forward end of the pen and held in place by a tension fit. This may also bring the nib into physical contact with the reservoir.

In exemplary embodiments, mechanical vibration and/or pressed air may drive a conveyer belt carrying nibs. The nibs may fall into the clutch of a mechanical claw. The mechanical claw may drop the nibs onto a circular pusher. A circular pusher may force each nib into a pen barrel. The force from the pusher may cause the nib and the pen barrel to interlock, and to bring the nib into physical contact with the reservoir.

The impact between the nib and the reservoir resultant from the insertion of the nib into the pen barrel may flood the nib with solution retained in the reservoir. In some embodiments, the reservoir may deliver the tan line correction solution to the nib through capillary action. In some embodiments, the force of gravity may also assist in delivering tan line correction solution from the fibrous reservoir to the nib.

The nib may be porous, oriented and/or include many channels. Exemplary material used to form the nib includes pressed fibers, resin, plastic, polyester, acrylic and/or porous polyethylene. For example, the nib may be formed from highly-porous, oriented, polyester fiber. The physical composition of the nib may assist the nib in absorbing tan line correction solution from the reservoir by capillary action.

In some embodiments, the nib may be relatively dense and retain its shape, or substantially retain its shape, when depressed on a surface. It should be noted that the nib may be substantially more dense than laminated polyester foam.

The viscosity of the tan line correction solution may be matched up with the porosity of the nib and the density of the fibrous filler. This matching may be used to ensure that the tan line correction solution works in an optimal capillary reaction with the nib and the fibrous filler.

The nib may be held in a stationary position on the pen barrel. Alternatively, the nib may be retractable.

Movement of the nib along a surface may result in the nib dispensing tan line correction solution on the surface. The amount of tan line correction solution dispensed by the nib may be substantially constant. In some embodiments, a user may not be able to adjust the amount of solution being dispensed from the nib. In other embodiments, a user may be able to adjust the amount of solution being dispensed from the nib. Such adjustment may be accomplished using methods that are known in the art.

The pen barrel may also include a cap. The cap may be removably secured to the forward end of the pen barrel. The cap may protect the nib from being deformed and/or drying out.

Advantages of the cosmetic applicator in accordance with the principles of the invention include the ability to apply a substantially constant amount of tan line correction solution to a surface. This results in the precise application of tan line correction solution, because of the predictability of the solution flow. Additionally, the nib of the cosmetic applicator in accordance with the invention retains the solution in a manner that eliminates the problem of leaking and dripping. This is in contrast to conventional tan line correctors which produce an uneven flow of tan line correction solution and have an undesirable amount of messy leakage and dripping.

FIGS. 1-2 show apparatus associated with the prior art. FIGS. 3-5 show illustrative apparatus in accordance with the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates apparatus associated with the prior art. The apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 includes tip 103 and applicator body 105. Tip 103 may be made from laminated polyester foam, be a substantially soft material, and may deform easily when pressed onto a surface. A user of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 must squeeze applicator body 105 to increase the flow of solution from tip 103.

FIG. 2 illustrates additional apparatus associated with the prior art. Specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged view of tip 203. Tip 203 includes a plurality of pores configured to dispense solution from an applicator body (not shown) in addition to non-oriented fibers. Tip 203 may be a soft tip that deforms easily when pressed onto a surface. The plurality of pores included in tip 203 contributes to the leaking and messy application of solution flowing from tip 203.

FIG. 3 illustrates cosmetic applicator 301 in accordance with the principles of the invention. The cosmetic applicator illustrated in FIG. 3 includes pen barrel 303, nib 306 and plug 308.

FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a cosmetic applicator in accordance with the principles of the invention. FIG. 4 illustrates nib 402 inserted into pen barrel 303.

FIG. 5 illustrates another portion of a cosmetic applicator in accordance with the principles of the invention. FIG. 5 illustrates nib 504 inserted into pen barrel 303. Nib 504 is preferably in physical contact, and fluid communication, with reservoir 502.

Reservoir 502 may be saturated with tan line correction solution. Reservoir 502 may hold the tan line correction solution in suspension. Reservoir 502 may transmit tan line correction solution to nib 504 by capillary action.

It should be noted that the cosmetic applicators illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 are for exemplary purposes only. A cosmetic applicator in accordance with the invention is not limited in any way to the geometric shape and/or size of the cosmetic applicators illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. Instead, any suitable shape and/or size of a pen barrel, nib, plug and filler may be used to form a cosmetic applicator in accordance with the invention.

Thus, an apparatus for a cosmetic applicator according to the invention has been provided. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced in embodiments other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration rather than of limitation. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cosmetic pen comprising: a nib; a tan line correction solution including a bronzer and a sunless tanning agent; and a fibrous reservoir saturated with the tan line correction solution.
 2. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein the nib is formed from resin.
 3. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein the sunless tanning agent includes dihydroxyacetone.
 4. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein the fibrous reservoir delivers the tan line correction solution to the nib through capillary action.
 5. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein the tan line correction solution is held in suspension within the fibrous reservoir.
 6. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein the bronzer includes Yellow 5, Red 40 and Blue
 1. 7. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein the tan line correction solution has a specific gravity ranging from 0.95-1.15, a pH of 2.8-3.5, and a viscosity (spindle #3/100 RPM/1 min) of 5-20 cps.
 8. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein the tan line correction solution has a specific gravity of 1.06, pH of 2.85, and viscosity (spindle #3/100 RPM/1 min) of 14 cps.
 9. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein movement of the nib along a surface results in an application of a regulated amount of tan line correction solution to the surface.
 10. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein the fibrous reservoir includes a shell and a fibrous filling.
 11. The cosmetic pen of claim 10 wherein the fibrous filling is selected from a group consisting of felt and polyester.
 12. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein a flow of tan line correction solution from the fibrous reservoir to the nib is anisotropic.
 13. The cosmetic pen of claim 1 wherein the nib substantially retains its shape when depressed on a surface.
 14. A method of making a cosmetic pen, the method comprising: sucking up tan line correction solution into a needle; inserting the needle into a fibrous reservoir; and injecting the tan line correction solution into the fibrous reservoir.
 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising inserting the fibrous reservoir into a pen barrel.
 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising pushing a nib onto the pen barrel, wherein the pushing places the nib into physical contact with the fibrous reservoir and floods the nib with tan line correction solution through capillary action.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein the tan line correction solution is held in suspension within the fibrous reservoir.
 18. A method of applying a tan line correction solution onto skin, the method comprising: guiding a nib along a portion of the skin, the nib being formed from resin and saturated with tan line correction solution, wherein: the nib is saturated with tan line correction solution by capillary action from a fibrous reservoir.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the nib delivers a substantially constant amount of the tan line correction solution onto the skin.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein the tan line correction solution includes water, glycerin, dihydroxyacetone, propylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, propandiol, disodium edta, yellow 5, red 40 and blue
 1. 